The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-11-21
THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE

Der 14th contains the following article,
showing the superiority OF the San Fran
cisco mail service, as at present carried
out by the Oceanic Steamship Company,
over the Suez route and the direct steam
service:
By the simultaneous arrival yesterday
of the mail via San Francisco and the
mail conveyed by the direct steam serv-
ice further evidence is supplied, not SIM
plv of the superiority of the San Francisco
mail route, for that has long ago been
undoubted, but of the uselessness OF the
direct steam route. The direct mail by
the Rimutaka brings London dates to the
26th of August, and the San Francisco
mail by the Alameda brings dates to the
18th of September, or fortnight later;
and yet they both arrived at Auckland
on the same day, and were distributed
together. To speak of comparing the two
routes, therefore, would only be misuse
of words. They can only be contrasted,
and the contrast tells SO heavily against
the direct mail route that it is astOnlsh-
ing any one could be found favoring the
use of it any longer. Nothing could more
clearly demonstrate how, by continuing
to employ it, the Colony sustains loss
both in time and money, than the TACT
that, if the mail put on board the Rlmu-
TAXA on the 26th of August had been sent
! by San Francisco, it would have reached
! Auckland fortnight ago, and been dis
! tributed all over the Colony at least ten
| DAYS earlier than it has been. Instead,
! therefore, of arguing, as some people IN
| the South are in the habit of doing, that
| the San Francisco service should be abOl-
! ished, it is the terminating of the direct
! mail service that they should insist on.
| If the San Francisco service were made
! a fOrtnightly one, in place of a monthly
one, as it is now, not only would all parts
of the Colony have their mails more
quickly and regularly conveyed and de-
| livered, but great saving to the Treas
urv would also be effected. AT present,
by the remission of the hostages, the San
Francisco service may be said to cost the
! Colony a mere trifle and, were the serv-
ice fortnightly instead of monthly, its
cost would be virtually reduced to moth
| ing; whereas the direct steam service
forms charge on the public revenue OF
ego 900 a year; and were the San Fran
cisco service dispensed with that sum
would certainly be more than doubled.
AS further showing the worthlessness
of the direct mail service, and how I'M
warrantably the money of the Colony is
being thrown away upon its maintenance
it is only necessary to say that the Sue2
route confers superior mail advantages
upon the Colony. Here comparison may
be legitimately resorted to, and it will
certainly be found adverse to the direc
steam route For example, mail which
had left London on the 28th of August
two days, that is, after the mail for
warded by the Rimutaka, was delivered
in Auckland on Monday last, or three
DAYS earlier than the Rimutaka's mail
Had that Suez mail left London on the
same date as the Rimutaka's mail il
would, with proper Australian connec
tons, have been delivered at all the prin
cipal ports of New Zealand five days be
fore the KaikOura arrived at Wellington
For mail matter sent hither, via Suez, the
Colony pays at much the same rate az
that allowed the Direct Steam Service
Company, SO that in this respect there is
not much to choose between these two
routes But, in respect of time, the ad
vantage to the Colony offered by the
Suez route, as compared with the direct
route, is undeniable. We have, there
fore, no hesitation in saying that, if ever
our legislators should exhibit the folly O
abolishing the San Francisco service, i
is the Suez route, in preference to the di
rect one, which ought then to be adopted
But the San Francisco service is no
going to be abolished On this point, the
Government and the House had better
understand at once that North New Zea
land will submit to no parleying. If, il
their desire for retrenchment, they wish
to red4ce the mail expenditure, let then
knock off the service which is really prac
tically useless, and, besides, entails or
the Colony an unnecessary expense; bu
let them beware of even so much az
trifing with that via San Francisco
which, as mail service, is indisputably
the swiftest, the cheapest and the bes
for the Colony as whole.
/ Central Union Church.